Visual information system and computer mobility application for field personnel

ABSTRACT

A system for providing visual crop data to a mobile device includes at least one server computer in communication with a mobile device. The at least one server computer is configured to receive location data relating to a geographical position of the mobile device; retrieve topographical data associated with at least a portion of the location data; generate shape data based at least partially on the topographical data; and transmit at least a portion of the shape data to the mobile device, such that at least one shape is visually displayed on at least a portion of a map image displayed on the mobile device. Also disclosed is a computer-implemented method and computer program product for providing and/or interacting with visual crop data, including appropriately communicatively connected hardware components.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/475,962, filed Apr. 15, 2011, and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/540,854, filed Sep. 29, 2011, both of whichare incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to soil and crop analysis and, morespecifically, to a visual information system for accessing pertinentinformation and features present in a specified area scheduled for theapplication of agricultural chemicals or for the cultivating ofgenetically modified crops.

Background of the Invention

Agricultural products, including those applied to soil and/or crops suchas granular crop protection chemicals, are used to control insects,mites, and nematodes that can damage crops. These agricultural chemicalsare typically water soluble and, therefore, care should be taken toprevent the chemicals from leaching into groundwater. In most cases,these conventional crop protection chemicals rapidly decompose intoharmless residues in the environment after application. However, acombination of sandy and acidic soil conditions can reduce thedegradation of the chemicals and allow the movement of some of thechemicals into the groundwater if care is not taken during application.

To protect groundwater supplies used for human drinking water, theseagricultural chemicals are typically not applied within fifty feet ofdrinking water wells. The state of Florida has more restrictive setbackrequirements which prevent some of these chemicals from being appliedwithin three hundred feet of any drinking water well. In addition,Florida also mandates that some products cannot be used on citrus plantswithin one thousand feet of a drinking water well when certain“vulnerable” soil types are present unless a set of well constructionparameters have been met and documented. Vulnerable soil types are thosein which agricultural chemicals may move more easily to the groundwater.These vulnerable soils are identified and mapped by the U.S.D.A. SoilConservation Service.

It is the responsibility of the applicator to determine where theagricultural product can or cannot be applied. In Florida, a number of“application monitors” work with professional applicators to determinewhere the agricultural chemicals can be applied. The process involvesthe grower, the professional applicator (who could be the same person),the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (the“State”), and the soil application monitor. Typically, the growerrequests the application of certain agricultural chemicals in adesignated area. The State assigns a permit number and the applicationmonitor inspects the site and marks any required setbacks from drinkingwater wells. As used herein, the terms “setback” or “buffer” refer tothe distance from an object, such as a well, within which agriculturalchemicals should not be applied. For wells, the setback distance dependsupon the well construction and the type of soil. The purchase andapplication of the agricultural chemicals is approved and the chemicalsare applied by the applicator. In the past, the records and data used bythe application monitor to determine the setback areas were writtendocuments that had to be handled manually.

Genetically modified crops provide various solutions to agriculturalefficiency, resulting in increased yields and lower prices. Modifiedcrops also provide solutions to disease, climate change and undesirablesoil conditions. For example, the introduction of genetically modifiedsoybeans with increased tolerance for herbicides has made it easier andmore profitable for farmers to grow the crop. As recent as 2010,genetically modified crops were grown by 15.4 million farmers on as manyas 360 million acres throughout the world. Due to concerns aboutgenetically modified crops, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) have created a regulatory scheme that is difficultfor farmers and others to navigate. The USDA is concerned with modifiedcrops becoming weeds and the EPA regulates genetically modified cropshaving pesticide-like properties. Further, state and local governmentscan prohibit the use of such crops and, possibly, create additionalregulations.

Given the numerous regulations regarding genetically modified crops,farmers and other individuals are burdened with the task of compliance.For example, the USDA requires a buffer zone around plots of geneticallymodified crops to ensure that cross-pollination with other species doesnot occur. These buffers, defining the allowable plots on which modifiedcrops can be grown, must be considered by farmers when planning theirgrowing season. Staying compliant with these types of regulationsrequires farmers and others to survey their land, often requiring accessto information regarding surrounding crops, ground water and otherresources. The buffer zones for genetically modified crops requiremonitoring to ensure that the crop does not extend past the designatedarea. Field surveys are generally used to ensure compliance with theregulations. Surveyors/inspectors, who are required to carry manydevices and tools into the field, must create a full report for eachinspected field. This process is inefficient and requires work to berepeated and for the surveyors to travel often.

In addition to concerns over ground water, state and federal laws alsoregulate areas populated with endangered species. These laws createbuffer zones adjacent to streams, rivers, wetlands and floodplainhabitats to protect certain endangered species. These buffer zonesdefine specific sensitive areas that are difficult for farmers andothers to survey and plot.

Thus, there is a need for a system that can run on a portable computeror other mobile device to provide real-time data to application monitorswhen they are in the field. There is also a need for a system thatreduces the time required for application monitors to perform theirtasks and provides information useful for real-time decision making bythe application monitors in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, provided is a system, method, and computer program productfor providing and/or interacting with visual crop data that addresses orovercomes some or all of the deficiencies and drawbacks associated withexisting systems.

According to one preferred and non-limiting embodiment of the presentinvention, provided is a system for providing visual crop data to amobile device, the system comprising at least one server computer incommunication with a mobile device, the at least one server computerconfigured to: receive, from the mobile device, location data relatingto a geographical position of the mobile device; retrieve, from at leastone topographical data source, topographical data associated with atleast a portion of the location data; generate shape data based at leastpartially on the topographical data; and transmit at least a portion ofthe shape data to the mobile device, such that at least one shape isvisually displayed on at least a portion of a map image displayed on themobile device, wherein the at least one shape is based at leastpartially on the at least a portion of the shape data.

According to another preferred and non-limiting embodiment of thepresent invention, provided is a computer program product comprising atleast one computer-readable medium, the computer-readable mediumcomprising a program which, when executed by a device having a processorand at least one display unit, causes the device to: transmit locationdata to at least one host, the location data representing a geographiclocation; receive shape data representing at least one shape, the atleast one shape at least partially corresponding to at least onespecific region, wherein at least a portion of the at least one specificregion is included in at least a portion of a geographic region; anddisplay, in combination with a visual representation of at least aportion of a geographic region active within the at least one displayunit, at least a portion of the at least one shape.

According to a further preferred and non-limiting embodiment of thepresent invention, provided is a computer-implemented method performedon at least one computer system including at least one processor, themethod comprising: receiving, from a mobile device, location datarelating to a geographical position of the mobile device; identifyingtopographical data relating at least partially to the geographicalposition; and transmitting, to the mobile device, map data and shapedata, wherein the map data allows the mobile device to display a visualimage representing a geographical region at least partiallycorresponding to the geographical position, and wherein the shape datais configured to cause the mobile device to display at least one shaperepresenting at least a portion of at least one specified area, andwherein the geographical region at least partially comprises the atleast a portion of the at least one specified area.

These and other features and characteristics of the present invention,as well as the methods of operation and functions of the relatedelements of structures and the combination of parts and economies ofmanufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing description with reference to the accompanying drawings, allof which form a part of this specification, wherein like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is tobe expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purposeof illustration and description only and are not intended as adefinition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification,the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referentsunless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1a and 1b are block diagrams of a visual information systemaccording to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of computers used in exemplary computing systems ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3a is a view of a mobile computer interface providing topographicalviews of soils rendered from data of the visual information mappingsystem according to principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3b is a view of a mobile computer interface providing topographicalviews of soils rendered from data of the visual information system, suchthat soil information is seen superimposed on top of land information,according to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of a mobile computer interface providing topographicalviews in and around a crop surrounded by a buffer area of the visualinformation mapping system according to the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a view of a mobile computer interface providing topographicalviews of soils rendered from data of the visual information mappingsystem having a crop represented by pins according to the principles ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the calculation of displayable sets of soilmappings according to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a diagram for a method of calculating a buffer to berendered about a shape polygon according to the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a view of a database table storing soil data according to theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view of a database table storing soil shape data accordingto the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view of a database table storing well data according to theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a view of a database table storing grove data according tothe principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a view of a database table storing application monitor dataaccording to the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of the description hereinafter, it is to be understood thatthe specific systems, processes, functions, and modules illustrated inthe attached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specificcharacteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not tobe considered as limiting. Further, it is to be understood that theinvention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences,except where expressly specified to the contrary.

In the following description, numerous specific details are provided,such as network structures, data structures, computing devices, andprogram instructions to provide a thorough understanding of embodimentsof the invention. One skilled in the art will recognize, however, thatthe invention can be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. Inother instances, well-known structures, materials, methods or operationsare not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of theinvention.

Referring now to FIG. 1a , a visual information system 1 for monitoringcrops is shown according to one preferred and non-limiting embodiment ofthe present invention. The system includes a host module 2 for providingweb pages or other forms of content to client computers, such as mobilecomputers 4. Various forms of data are provided in a streaming formatfrom the host module 2 to the mobile computer 4, based at leastpartially on the location and/or movement of the mobile computer 4, oractions taken on the mobile computer 4 by a user (e.g., an applicationmonitor, field personnel, farmers, or other individuals).

The mobile computer 4 may be used by an application monitor or otherfield personnel during examination of a crop such as, for example,citrus groves, in order to provide for the application of agriculturalchemicals, the planting of genetically modified crops, or otheractivities, in accordance with recommended procedures. The visualinformation system 1 provides targeted mapping information bycalculating soil information in a selected area. By targetinginformation to a selected area, the system 1 reduces the bandwidthrequirements necessary to provide the mobile device 4 with the data thatit needs. It is to be understood that the mobile computer 4 of thevisual information system 1 is not limited for use by applicationmonitors. Other users, such as marketing managers, sales personnel,product managers, applicators, or other individuals, could also use thesystem 1.

With continued reference to FIG. 1a , the host module 2 is incommunication with an XML conversion module 3, a shape determinationmodule 5, and external data sources such as a topographical data source10. The host module 2 is also in communication with a networkenvironment 7, such as the internet or some other form of communicationsnetwork. Mobile devices 4 are in communication with the network 7 andwith one or more GPS satellites 8. The host module 2 and/or the mobiledevices 4, may access other external data sources, such as a map imageservice 9, to provide satellite image data or other features.

Referring now to FIG. 1b , a further view of the visual informationsystem 1 for monitoring crops is shown according to one preferred andnon-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The host module 2 isin communication with shape file database 11, which contains individualshape files 12. The host module 2 is also in communication with externaldata sources, such as a topographical data source 10 and a map imageservice 9. A mobile device 4 is in communication with the host module 2and the map image service 9. The mobile device 4 includes an interface300. The interface 300 displays soil shapes 14 a and 14 b, whichcorrespond to one or more shape files 12.

A mobile device 4, as used herein, refers to a computing device withcommunication capabilities. Mobile devices 4 may include, for example,tablet and laptop computers, mobile phones, electronic devices speciallydesigned for use with the system, or any other like computing device.

In one preferred and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention,the mobile device 4 may be provided with a mobility application thatcommunicates with the host module 2. A “mobility application” isunderstood to be a computer program running on a mobile device and mayinclude, for example, standalone applications, interactive webpages, orother types of computer programs and/or compiled program instructions.The map information displayed on the mobile device 4 may be a subset ofmap information provided by the map image service 9, a mapping host, orotherwise provided by the host module 2. The map image service 9 or themapping host determines hosted map information from position coordinatessupplied by the mobility application, or indirectly through the hostmodule 2, and transmits a limited set of map information to the mobiledevice 4. The mobility application allows viewing of the map informationon the mobile device.

The map information may include the visualization of topologicalinformation for a region, retrieved from a topographical data source 10or other data source. The topological information may include, forexample, features of interest (e.g., drinking water wells, animal nests,endangered species habitats, other crops, and the like) and buffer areas(i.e., setback distances) around these features. The buffer areas defineregions around features of interest, a crop region, or other shapesand/or features within which the application of agricultural chemicals,the planting of genetically modified crops, or other activities, are tobe avoided. Intersecting buffer areas provide suspect regions, which mayalso be visualized on the mobile device 4 through the mobilityapplication.

The mobility application electronically reports coordinates, which maychange as the position of the mobile device 4 changes. The mapinformation data changes as the coordinates of the mobile device 4change, such that the host module 2 transmits new map information datain response to the changes in coordinates. The coordinates may bereported in real-time. The mobility application may be used by fieldpersonnel, application monitors, or other users, to assist in detectingregions where the application of agricultural chemicals and geneticallymodified crops, as examples, are to be avoided. The detected regions maybe transmitted to an applicator system or other entity.

In one preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the visual informationsystem 1 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b creates and/or processes mapping data(e.g., topographical data or other data) for transmission to the mobiledevice 4. For example, the host module 2 may calculate a subset ofspatial data based upon an area, such as a crop or grove. The subset ofspatial data is then overlaid on a map of the area. This combination ofspatial data combined with a map provides the application monitor with auseful visualization of an area and allows the application monitor toview relevant information, such as drinking water wells, water sources,species, groves, crop regions, and/or soil regions in relation to thetopographical features of the area. The visual information system 1 mayuse different methods to preprocess spatial files to find desired data.These techniques may be used to determine an area for which shape file12 is needed.

With reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b , system 1 may be configured to createshape files 12 by converting spatial files that are received from anexternal data source, such as a topographical data source 10 (e.g., aGeographical Information Systems (GIS) server or other spatial filesarchives local or external to the system). For example, the Soil SurveyGeographic (SSURGO) Database provides detailed soil geographic dataabout soil types in the United States, by county. However, these spatialfiles can be extensive. For example, in Polk County, Fla., the spatialfiles include approximately 27,000 files. In one preferred andnon-limiting embodiment, the spatial files retrieved by the system 1 maybe converted to Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files 6 using anExtensible Markup Language (XML) conversion module 3.

The XML conversion module 3 takes, as input, spatial data or otherrelevant data and creates and outputs XML-formatted data and,specifically, KML data. KML files 6 are used to specify a set offeatures, such as place marks, images, polygons, 3D models, or textualdescriptions for display in Google Earth, a mobility application, or anyother 3D Earth browser (e.g., geobrowser) implementing KML encoding.Each entry has a longitude and latitude, and data to make the view morespecific such as, for example, tilt, heading, and altitude, whichtogether define a “camera view”. The KML data 6 may represent spatialfiles converted to latitude and longitude coordinates. KML files 6 arethen separated into individual shape files 12.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b , the KML files 6 are formedinto shape files 12 by the shape determination module 5, which may thenbe stored in a shape files database 11. The shape determination module 5accepts, as input, one or more KML files 6 and outputs, to the hostmodule 2, shape file database 11, or directly to the mobile computer 4,shape files. From the shape files database 11 or shape determinationmodule 5, individual shape files 12 are created. A shape file 12 isinformation about one individual shape on the map. Shape files 12 may belatitude and longitude based. For example, one shape file 12 maydescribe a shaped polygon of soil 14 a within coordinates on a map 13representing the shape of a particular soil type within a number ofother soil types for a particular area of interest. The data includesinformation describing the geological structure of the area. Theseindividual shape files 12 may be dynamically chosen by specifying themaximum distance to a latitude/longitude point, as discussed below. Inone embodiment, the mobility application on the mobile computer 4 canprocess the subsets of data and display the data on mobile devices 4carried by field application monitors.

The shape files 12 may include information regarding soil types and maybe designated as “vulnerable” when the soil is considered a type throughwhich crop protection chemicals can more easily travel or permeate. Inone embodiment, any soil, or group of soils, may be marked as vulnerableor given another identifier to distinguish such soils from other soils.

The shape files database 11 may be queried by the host module 2 forparticular shape files 12 defining objects within an area. Only a smallsubset of shape files 12 will then be provided to the mobile computer 4based on the designated area. For example, if an application monitor ischecking chemical treatment in a particular grove, the host module 2 mayprovide only data within a specific radius of the grove. In oneembodiment, this radius may be defined based on the geographical centerof the grove. The host module 2 may then determine the objects withinthe designated radius of the selected area and only send those shapefiles 12 defining those objects. This subset of information may be partof a county map, multiple county maps, one block of a county map, oronly data within the active range of the application monitor. The endresult is a subset of a larger set of map data that shows only the areaof interest. The amount of data needed can be thus filtered down to arange of 100 kb-100 mb of data, as an example.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b , in addition to individualshape files 12, the host module 2 may have access to other information,stored in a database 15 or some other form of data structure, for thevisual information system 1. For example, state and session informationuseful for field personnel (such as application monitors) may be storedin a database 15. Examples of such information may include soil typedata, soil shape data, well data, grove data, and monitor data.

Referring now to FIG. 8, shown is an example soil type table that may bestored in a database 15 and made accessible to the host module 2 (notshown) according to one preferred and non-limiting embodiment of thepresent invention. The information in FIG. 8 is regarding HillsboroughCounty. The soil numbers are specific to the county and are used by thesystem as a cross-reference to determine soil names. For example, whenthe host module 2 is using a particular shape file 12, the system mayuse the soil type table to look-up an identifier for a certain soiltype.

With reference to FIG. 9, shown is a table of data representing anindividual shape according to one preferred and non-limiting embodimentof the present invention. As represented by the data in FIG. 9, a shapefile may include many points that are used to form a particular shape.FIG. 10 depicts a table of data representing ground water wells storedin the system. FIG. 11 depicts a table of data representing crops (e.g.,groves) where a farmer or applicator is ready to apply an agriculturalchemical, i.e., crops that are ready to be monitored by the system. FIG.12 depicts a table of application monitor data representative of datacollected by an application monitor while in the field. It will beappreciated that many different types of data, stored in a variety ofdifferent data structures, may be utilized.

During operation, the host module 2 enters a session with an applicationmonitor's mobile computer 4. The session includes messages such as, forexample, HTTP requests and responses in back and forth communicationduring a session. In addition, asynchronously to the session, updatesare continuously sent from the application monitor's mobile computer 4to the host module 2 and are stored in a database 15. Updatestransmitted to the visual information system 1 define the actions takenby the application monitor on the mobile computer 4. The updates can beused to reproduce a session or for auditing an application monitor'scrop survey.

In one embodiment, to facilitate login, the mobile computer 4 mayprovide a login screen having a list of the names of approvedapplication monitors that may be selected to authenticate an authorizeduser. Once the application monitor is authenticated, a crop may beselected to observe. The application monitor may then survey the cropusing the mobile computer 4. For example, as the application monitormoves about a grove, the location of the mobile device 4 is tracked by aGPS sensor in the computer 4 that is in communication with a GPSsatellite 8. The visual information system 1 synchronizes the GPSlocation of the application monitor every several seconds, or at otherpredetermined intervals.

The visual information system 1 may be used by an application monitor todetermine where the application of agricultural chemicals should beallowed and where the application should be avoided. A system ofbuffers, or “setbacks”, facilitates finding these restricted areas. Inone embodiment for citrus groves, a buffer is determined and is renderedaround the grove by using shape files 12. The host module 2 calculatespoints forming a buffer surrounding the grove. Each point in the bufferis calculated to be 300 ft. from a point in the grove and the bufferdefines an outer polygon representing 300 ft. from the inner polygonrepresenting the grove. An application monitor can use thisrepresentation to narrow their focus to points in the restricted zone.If application monitors find a feature of interest, such as a groundwater well, within the buffer zone, they can alter the application ofagricultural chemicals to avoid that feature. It is to be understoodthat the invention could use any buffer size.

Additionally, the host module 2 may provide a variable buffer having avariable setback distance. For example, the system can calculate thewind speed (using a wind speed sensor) and provide the information todynamically morph the buffer polygon to ensure that the agriculturalchemicals are kept at the correct distance from a particular feature. Abuffer may be used around any desired object in the system. Finding anyintersecting grove buffers and well buffers, farmers and applicators areprovided with areas where the agricultural chemicals, geneticallymodified crops, or other activities, should not be applied. Using thevisual information system 1, map and geologic data can be displayedsimultaneously and in real-time.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, buffers areused to determine the correct distance from wildlife habitats thatrestricts the areas to which agricultural chemicals can be applied. Thisfunctionality may use government or other databases to identify habitatsof threatened or endangered species in relation to the land used forcrops. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, thevisual information system may be used by an application monitor todetermine where the planting of genetically modified crops should beallowed and where such crops should be avoided.

The visual information system 1 provides a workflow, such as showingprior visited locations of a particular application monitor. The system1 may provide information regarding which application monitors areauthenticated (authorized) to access the visual information system andcan show their previous activity in the field. In this way, managers canview the progress for specific crops or application monitors, and mobilecomputers 4 can be used to add information in the field for theapplication monitors to view. This workflow helps setting up certaingroundwater well constructions, and other features, which requiresetback distances.

Initially, a setback distance may not exist for groundwater wells in thesystem. The application monitor may be enabled to input informationabout the well into the system. In some embodiments, the system may beprogrammed to use a default setback for groundwater wells, or otherfeatures, that are not already associated with setback distances.Pictures of the well or any landmark surveyed or observed may beincluded in the input information. A manager can view the pictures toprovide feedback either into the system or directly to an applicationmonitor at a location, such as to determine if a particular groundwaterwell qualifies for a lesser (i.e., shorter) setback. The visualinformation system 1 can provide mobile computers 4 with supervisory andvalidation capability. The storage of movements and actions in thesystem provides audit capability as to who changed information in thesystem and when. The visual information system 1 may also be configuredto calculate how many bushels per acre a certain crop will produce,using various types of soil data and other relevant data. Thisinformation can be used to determine what an estimated cost associatedwith not using a particular product application on the area would be.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b , the mobile computer 4captures movement data. As movement of the mobile computer 4 occurs,updates of positions are sent to the host module 2 and are stored in thedatabase 15. The GPS location of the application monitor's computer 4can be provided every several seconds. It is to be understood that anytime interval can be used in order to provide information to the hostmodule 2. In one embodiment, this movement information may be stored andused to recreate a session.

Referring now to FIG. 3a , a mobile computer interface 300 of the visualinformation system is shown according to one preferred and non-limitingembodiment. The interface 300 may be used to observe a crop. On theinterface 300, a map shows an area of land and various soil shapes. Thesystem 1 also can provide a hybrid map having the mapping informationshown in FIG. 3a mixed with satellite imagery. In this example, thevisual information system is used for the survey of groves. A grove 302is delineated by a set of tags 304 a-304 d. A grove can have any numberof tags outlining the polygon forming the grove. It will be appreciatedthat any type of crop area or other region may be delineated by a set oftags in the context of the system.

With continued reference to FIG. 3a , shown is a particular area andgrove region. The visual information system 1 provides the applicationmonitor with a graphical view of soil types surrounding the water wellsor other features and/or regions. The map layer of the mobile computerinterface 300 shows the soil types, represented by different shades orother visual indications. In one non-limiting embodiment, the mobilecomputer interface 300 provides functions to tag a soil shape with aname and identity, and store the soil data in a database 15 incommunication with the host module 2.

With continuing reference to FIG. 3a , the mobile computer interface 300may include a movable, customizable menu 306 having a set of iconssurrounding a scope 308. The menu 306 shown is a context menu. The menu306 provides application monitors the capabilities they need to enableproper chemical applications, and also maximizes effective space on themobile computer interface 300 to show maps and information about crops.In a preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the menu 306 may be movedaround the map either manually or automatically. The scope 308 may focuson specified areas in the map. When the mobile computer moves the scope308, sub-menus may move with it. The menu 306 and scope 308 may alsomove automatically in response to the movement of the mobile computerand the application monitor in the field. As the mobile computer 4moves, the location of the mobile computer is tracked by a GPS sensor inthe device and the viewable area and map automatically update tocorrespond to the movement of the mobile computer 4.

The interface 300 may display various types of data to a user of themobile device 4 such as soil and land condition data. Such data mayinclude, for example, pH balance, texture, density, slope, composition,salinity, and the like. This data may be obtained from numerousdatabases, external or internal to the system 1 that may be local,national or global in scale. One such database is the Harmonized WorldSoil Database, which provides a global resource for soil informationindexed by longitude and latitude coordinates. The mobile device 4 maydisplay a topographical view of soil information retrieved from suchdatabases, such that the information is mapped out according to locationand indexed through a graphical user interface.

One type of setback is an area surrounding a water well. A drinkingwater well can be indicated on the map using various visual techniques,such as different colors, highlights, shades, pinpoints, or crosshatches, and is associated with a particular setback distance range. Themobile computer interface 300 may have a highlighted area indicating thewater wells in a plan of the area. The well information may be stored asshape files 12 and may be used in later surveys of an area. Water welldepth from past surveys may be used to formulate a setback distancebased on the depth of the well.

Each icon of the menu 306 may be programmed to perform a particularfunction. The menu 306 may also be programmed to include a hierarchicalset of menus, each level having a set of icons corresponding to variousfunctions such as, for example, a “best crop” function. As an example,icon 315 may provide a search window or function. Icon 316 is a joystickon/off button to provide a joystick window for moving objects. Thejoystick can be operable to move a scope. The joystick can provide theapplication monitor flexibility in order to fine tune the coordinates onthe map. The joystick moves the scope and then converts the scope x andy screen location to latitude and longitude based on a zoom level of themap. The visual information system 1 can use the outer bounds of the mapand the zoom level. The zoom level can be determined from map data.

Icon 317 may provide access to a crop sub-menu that provides functionsrelating to a crop, such as a grove. The crop sub-menu may provide usersicons having the functionality to add pins, wells, houses, and otherpoints of interest, as examples. A point of interest may define a pointthat needs to have further investigation for any reason. A pin may beplotted on the map for indicating that the application monitor shouldfurther review this area. A pin represents a coordinate, having aspecific latitude and longitude. The grove menu may also providedocument management for the groves. The managed documents are associatedwith particular groves, and may provide access to documents withspecific information, such as product applications, pictures, andchecklists.

The crop sub-menu may further provide functions to visually display soilinformation using a switch or other means to turn soil information onand off. With reference to FIG. 3b , the soil information of FIG. 3a isshown superimposed on corresponding land information including, forexample, satellite imagery, road maps, and various topographicalfeatures. Crop (i.e., grove) information is also shown. Soils andvulnerable soils may be displayed, and an information pop-up window mayshow all the information that the system stores about a soil shape. Thecrop sub-menu may also provide a function to display a buffer zone andthe area of the buffer as calculated in the system. In addition, thecrop acreage can be displayed.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b , icon 318 provides amapping function sub-menu. The mapping sub-menu may provide a zoomfunction to zoom-in or zoom-out to the center of the current scopelocation. In addition, the visual information system offers a crop zoomfunction, which zooms to the center of the selected grove or crop. Thevisual information system may further provide a zoom for focusing on thecurrent location of the mobile computer 4, although tracking may berequired to be on in order to use this zoom function. The map sub-menualso shows a selection of map types. For example, different map types,such as hybrid or road maps, may be made available. A function may alsobe provided to center the crops on the interface 300. A trackingfunction may provide the position of the mobile computer 4 in relationto the current map view. In tracking mode, as the device 4 moves around,a visual representation, such as a dot, may be displayed on the mobilecomputer interface 300 and move on the map in correspondence to themovement of the device 4 within the crop region. An application monitorcan use this function to follow their path on the displayed map inrelation to their surroundings.

Icon 319 may provide a measurement menu to add points to the map dataand to modify the same. The measurement menu may also show drivingdirections to a point, with the system defaulting to a current locationin the grove. A function for distance measuring provides a distance frompoint ‘A’ to point ‘B’. The points may be plotted on the map with thejoystick to determine or visually indicate how far apart they actuallyare. The menu may also provide a crop designer mode to provide a resetof crop points to start a new crop location from scratch. Thisfunctionality may be used when an application monitor finds additionalcrops in an area and needs to create a crop location as they aresurveying.

The menu 306 may further include icon 320 for an address on/offfunction. The address on/off function may find the nearest house,residence, or other location, to a particular point indicated with aninput device, such as a mouse or touchscreen, and display on the map theexact location of the address. Icon 321 may provide functions to “jump”to (i.e., go directly to) an input address. Icon 322 is an informationon/off function for displaying information from point-to-point on a mapof the visual information system 1.

A number of different soil types are represented in FIG. 3a by theshaded shapes rendered on the interface 300. For example, soil shape 312a is shown having a shade unique to that particular shape and can bedistinguished from soil shape 312 b, which is provided with a completelydifferent shade. The types of soil are represented by different colors,different shades of grey, or different patterns. However, one skilled inthe art will recognize that other patterns, methods, or representationscould be used to indicate different types of soil. The scope 308 may beused to highlight different soils and activate a soil information pop-upwindow 314 corresponding to a particular soil shape 313. As shown, soil313 is of the type Hillsborough with the description “Soil #47 Seffnerfine sand.”

With reference to FIG. 4, a mobile computer interface 400 displays avisual map including a crop region (e.g., grove region) 402. The cropregion 402 is shown surrounded by a buffer (e.g. setback) 404. Inaddition, a point marking a well 406 is shown. The well 406 has asetback region 408 surrounding it. A menu 410 is also displayed on thisscreen, having functions as discussed above. In addition, with continuedreference to FIG. 4, a line segment 412 formed from points A to B can beused to measure the distance from point A to point B. In this example,the line segment 412 has a distance of 945 feet, as shown in thedistance box 414. Finally, groundwater wells 416 and 418 are shown, eachhaving respective setback regions 420 and 422. In one embodiment, thesetback distance can be adjusted based on the soil type or otherspecific objects in the area.

With reference to FIG. 5, a mobile computer interface 500 having a cropregion 502 is shown according to one preferred and non-limitingembodiment of the present invention. The crop region 502 is formed ofpoints as represented by location pins 504 a-504 d. The location pins504 a-504 d provide a specific latitude and longitude. An example of agroundwater well 506 is seen outside the crop region 502 formed fromlocation pins 504 a-504 d having a setback buffer region 508 of 1000 ft.In addition, a groundwater well 510 is shown having a setback 512 of 100feet. The groundwater well 510 appears to belong to the house 514. Thegroundwater well 516, having a setback buffer 518 of 100 ft., appears tobelong to the adjacent house 520. The well 522 does not appear to beadjacent to a house or be associated with a setback buffer. The line524, formed of point A to point B, has a distance of 2,208 feet, asshown in the distance box 526.

The application monitor reviews the areas where the buffer areas of thegroundwater wells intersect the buffer area of the grove. This is anarea where application of agricultural products may be controlled. Tocontrol application, the application monitor can identify points byusing flags where the application should stop. The flags will indicateto the farmer or applicator that treatment should stop when this area isreached. In addition, the automatic application of agriculturalchemicals and other treatments can be controlled using positioningcoordinates provided directly to automatic applicator equipment.

The present invention also includes a method of using the visualinformation system. A mobile computer is provided having a splash (e.g.,introduction) screen showing information and a login activation section.The login section may provide selectable application monitor names or atext box for authenticating a user. In one preferred and non-limitingembodiment, the splash screen may also provide driving directions from acurrent location or specified address to a selected crop region. Onceauthenticated, a crop region is either created or opened. In cropdesigner mode, the user can create a new crop region by plotting thepoints of the crop they are surveying. For example, an applicationmonitor could walk around the parameter of a grove and use the visualinformation system 1 to send points from the mobile computer 4 to thehost module 2. In addition, points can be configured directly from thescreen, such as using the joystick to move the scope 308, or positioningthe scope by selecting the inside of a polygon in the mobile computerinterface 300 of the mobile application.

Alternatively, the application monitor could open a previously storedcrop region. When a crop region is selected, the soil shape files 12 aretransmitted to the application monitor's mobile computer 4 from the hostmodule 2. The shape files 12 are displayed for a particular distance(e.g., 3 mile radius) around the selected crop region. If there is adisruption, the visual information system may refresh the mapautomatically. It is to be understood that distances provided forsetbacks, buffers, and active areas are characteristics of certainembodiments and may be configured to address different locations, crops,soils, or other features relating to land.

In one preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the visual informationsystem 1 may provide an edit mode. In edit mode, the user may be enabledto tag objects in the display which they find during their survey. Forexample, groves, wells, or other features relating to the land, may beindicated by pins. The visual system 1 may include an informationwindow, which has information about a grove. If that information isfound to be incorrect, the system allows the user to edit theinformation.

When in edit mode, the menus and scope may be freely moved by using atouch screen, or other input device, to drag and drop. The screen may beplaced in locked mode and the joy stick may be used to move pins withouttouching the screen. After the application monitor has entered all ofthe crop information, and the user exits the edit mode, the user may beprompted to save the information to a database 15 in communication withthe host module 2.

As the application monitor surveys the crop region, the visualinformation system 1 may provide a checklist menu to list items theapplication monitor should survey, such as possible groundwater wellsnear the area of the crop region's buffer.

The visual information system may be used to check and color code housesin the area. House information may be mapped based on a tax recordsdatabase, for example. The system may use external information or datasources, such as Google, to display houses or other related informationautomatically.

With reference to FIG. 4, the application monitor may observe the areadefined by a buffer 404 surrounding a crop region 402. The crop bufferhas rounded corners to show the actual buffer distance relative to thecorners of the crop region 402. A buffer toggle menu may be used toselect a buffer distance. The default buffer can be 1000 ft. However, itshould be understood that any desired distance could be used. Forexample, 1000 feet can be used, in addition to 100 to 300 feet, toprovide the mobile computer 4 the capability to toggle between each ofthese buffers. In addition, any number of buffers may be used in adesignated area.

As the application monitor identifies groundwater wells (such as well416), the mobile computer 4 may be used to configure location pins aboutthe groundwater wells and provide information about the wells. In oneembodiment, the wells may be visually color coded. For example, red mayindicate a non-compliant well, and green may indicate a compliant well.A yellow well may indicate that the well parameters are unknown (anunknown well may be given a default setback). Buffer distances can beautomatically defined to correspond to compliant and non-compliantwells. Alternatively, the user can set the buffer distance. It will beappreciated that any number of methods for indicating or differentiatingbetween wells, or other features, may be used.

In addition to the previously discussed wells, other types of wells maybe used in the system, including, but not limited to, irrigation wells.Different wells may be indicated using different colors/shades or othertypes of visual representations. The system can indicate waiver wells(i.e., wells with a non-drinking waiver on file) by using differentcolor markers or other visual indicators. In addition to drinking waterwells, other objects to be avoided may be indicated, such as thelocation of animal or insect nests.

Sometimes, when a survey is conducted, areas of interest areinaccessible. For example, if a house appears to have a well but thearea is closed off, the application monitor will not be able to enterthe area to perform a survey. However, if the application monitor sees apoint of interest on the map provided by the visual information systemand is unable to access the point, they may use the system to show thedistance between any two points, or a current location and a point. Inaddition, the user can see the directional bearing between any twopoints, or a current location and a point. This functionality providesthe application monitor the ability to see the direction of points onthe map. In addition, if the user would like to reference another pointon the map, the application may provide a “jump” function, such as thatprovided by icon 321 on FIG. 3a , where the user may type an addressand, in response, the application will jump to the area corresponding tothat address.

As the application monitor surveys the crop region, information gatheredmay be associated with that particular crop region. In addition,documents may be associated with a particular crop region prior to thearrival of the application monitor. For example, a material safetydanger list, which tells the requirements for a chemical, can be enteredinto the system with the creation of the grove before the applicationmonitor begins the survey. This information is accessible via the mobilecomputer 4 to the application monitor in the field, should any questionsarise as to a particular safety requirement.

The application monitor may use the mobile computer 4 to find productrestricted areas. If needed, the application monitor may maximize thescreen and follow the setback buffer to place (e.g., tie or otherwisefix) location markers on the ground following the line of the setback sothat the applicator or farmer can see where the product applicationshould be stopped. As the markers are placed on the ground, the locationcoordinates (latitude and longitude) can be sent to the applicator. Atie button may be provided on the interface to enable a user to providedifferent tie types and transmit a coordinate for each tie location tothe host module 2, or some other system. The system 1 can be used toshow the bearing between any two points, or current location and apoint. This is in order to see the direction of the points.

The visual information system can display, on mobile devices 4, a statusfor each crop region in the system, such as “completed”, “ready”, or“problem”. This may indicate that the system has not been updated or isnot finished for that particular crop region. Information, such as URLencoded information, may be sent via an e-mail having informationregarding the current location. A crop monitor button can be configuredto e-mail a manager any information.

In a further non-limiting embodiment, a method for recovering anapplication monitor's session is provided. The system 1 can providesession continuance where, in the case of terminal error on the mobilecomputer 4 or loss of connection, the session is able to be recovered.The mobile computer 4 sends status information to the host module 2.This information is retained by the host module 2, or other part of thesystem 1, as the information is captured. The status can bereconstructed from status information and sent back to the mobilecomputer 4 where it is used by the mobile computer 4 to retrace anapplication monitor's survey. A restart application button may beprovided as an additional menu item.

With reference to FIG. 6, a grove 600 having two adjacent soil regions,soil A and soil B, is shown. The soil A and soil B regions are renderedfrom shape files 12 (not shown). The shapes are made by using end pointsthat describe a particular polygon or shape for a soil region. The shapefiles 12 may have numerous end points, and the end points may stretchover long distances. In order to limit the number of shape files 12 thatare sent to an application monitor's mobile device 4 (not shown), thevisual information system determines which shape files 12 are within acertain distance of the crop points. For example, by viewing the image,it is clear that soil A is near the grove 600 and that soil B is furtheraway. Using a preselected threshold value, the system can find each ofthe furthest points of each soil shape or polygon, as compared to thegrove point information, to determine if the soil should be used on themap. In this case, soil A has a furthest point A and a furthest point B,and soil B has a furthest point X and a furthest point Y. As can be seenin FIG. 6, if a threshold distance (represented by circle 602 having aradius) around the grove is used, the system 1 will use any polygonwhere one of the polygon's furthest points is within the thresholddistance 602. As shown, point X is within the threshold distance ofgrove 600. Therefore, using the threshold technique, soil B would beincluded and soil A would not.

With continued reference to FIG. 6, a further non-limiting embodimentfor determining what soil shape data to include, by calculating pointsusing an active soil technique, will be described. In the active soiltechnique, the visual information system determines active soil shapesusing polygons, represented by polygon 604 and polygon 608. Thesepolygons are formulated using the outermost points of the shape data fora corresponding soil shape. As shown in FIG. 6, polygon 604 around soilA intersects the grove 600, and therefore soil A is determined to be anactive soil. Because soil B is not intersecting the grove within polygon608, soil B is not an active soil. In this example, only the activesoils are sent from the host module 2 to the mobile computer 4 aspreviously discussed with reference to FIGS. 1a and 1 b.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a method of calculating a buffer 71 to berendered about a shape polygon 70 is shown. As described herein, thebuffer 71 defines a boundary around the internal polygon 70. As shown,program instructions provide points at steps around the outside of theinternal polygon 70. Points are at a specified distance from the polygon70, where the distance is equal to the buffer setback distance 72. Forconceptual purposes, a circle 73 is shown in FIG. 7 having a diameterequal to the buffer setback distance 72. For example, if the buffersetback distance 72 is 300 feet, the system would use a circle having adiameter of 300 feet. The system then steps along the outside edges ofthe shape polygon, marking the outermost points of the circle 73 at eachstep. For example, using a step of 10 feet, enough distance is providedbetween points to create an accurate buffer. The accuracy of the buffer71 may be increased by decreasing the step to a smaller distance, forexample, one foot. As the system steps along the edges of the linesformed from the corners of the polygon 70 (e.g., points x, y, z, zz), inthis case a grove polygon 70, it stores the points in a data structuresuch as an array. The movement continues along the line until the systemhits the last point necessary for creating the buffer 71. The systemmoves until it hits the next point. If no portion of the circle 73 fallswithin the internal polygon 70, the system keeps the point in the arrayand starts on the next line segment. Alternatively, when any portion ofthe circle (e.g., point j) falls within the grove polygon 70, the systemdetermines it has moved too far in this direction and reverts back tothe last point. Next, the system determines the bearing, and moves tothe starting point in the next line segment that has a point that is notwithin the polygon.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the mobilecomputer 4 is configured to provide, or retrieve from the host module 2,calculations relating to crop growth probabilities based on informationdrawn from publicly available soil databases (i.e., the Harmonized WorldSoil Database). Using this database, a mobile computer 4 may beconfigured to determine a user's GPS location, send the location to thehost module 2, and receive information relating to the soil present inthat area. The information may include, but is not limited to, aprobable mix of the soil including pH, sand, silt, gravel, organiccontent, slope density, drainage, and other characteristics and matter.The host module 2, or the mobile computer 4 after receiving therequisite data, calculates the growth probability of a particular cropin that area based on the soil information. A forecast is then providedto the user on the mobile interface 300, showing how well a particularcrop is expected to grow at that location.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the mobile computer 4, possibly throughthe mobile computer interface 300, provides a “best crop” function todetermine, based on a plurality of databases and other informationsources, the ideal crop or crops to grow in a particular area based onsoil conditions and other data. This function allows farmers and othersto make educated decisions regarding their yearly crop plots. This “bestcrop” function may consider data that includes, but is not limited to,soil type, including levels of nutrients and other compounds, as well asground water data, drainage data, aridity data, expected weatherconditions and historical data. An algorithm weighs the desired factors,along with other specified inputs, to provide advice to farmers. Datamay be extracted from a variety of sources to formulate suggestionsand/or advice.

As an example, the “best crop” function may use the Harmonized WorldSoil Database to retrieve soil information and determine a mix index.The mix index is a number that corresponds to the growth potential forone or more crops in an area. After the mix index is determined, otherinformation, such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, heat index andother relevant data, are factored in to further narrow the list of cropswith the best potential for growth. The final result of thesecalculations provides farmers with a list of crops that will grow intheir specific area, with a percentage probability for success duringthe upcoming date ranges. For example, the results displayed to a userof the “best crop” function may specify that corn has a 92% chance ofgrowing between September 15 and September 30, an 86% chance of growingbetween October 1 and October 15, and an 80% chance of growing betweenOctober 16 and October 30. Further functionalities of the “best crop”feature may include profitability determinations that, for example,consider current futures/commodities prices and local supply and demanddata. Numerous other sets of data can be incorporated into the “bestcrop” function to enable farmers to maximize the profitability and useof their land. In an embodiment of this particular feature, the “bestcrop” determinations can be performed on any computing device havingaccess to the required databases.

In a further, non-limiting embodiment of this invention, the mobilecomputer 4, possibly through the mobile computer interface 300, supportsa global regulatory inspection function to confirm compliance withdesignated buffer zones. The global regulatory inspection functionallows fanners, working with a government entity, to designate areas forgenetically modified test crops. The function serves as a due-diligenceand auditing tool, capturing location data, field area data, buffer areadata, pictures, and other forms of data related to the surveyed field.Such functionality may be used for bioscience field surveys to eliminatethe need for surveyors to carry multiple items/tools into the field inorder to complete a survey of the area. The global regulatory inspectionfunction collects data in order to confirm buffers used by farmers todesignate areas for genetically modified crops. The global regulatoryinspection function will allow surveyors to gather data andautomatically generate reports once the area survey is complete, savingtime and effort. This function ensures compliance with USDA bufferrequirements and other regulations affecting agriculture by confirminglocations of buffers and modified crops. This function can also help afarmer or surveyor prove that a sufficient buffer surrounds the cropsand that, further, there is no danger of cross-pollination.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the mobilecomputer 4 is configured to determine (or receive a determination from aremote computer) the impact genetically modified crops will have interms of the amount of land used and expected yields. This functionalityallows individuals to assess a large area and determine the extent ofthe impact that genetically modified crops will have on the land, suchas the amount of land that the crop can be grown on compared to theamount of land that a comparable, unmodified crop can be grown on. Forexample, in many areas of the world, salinity levels in the soilsignificantly reduce the types and amounts of crops that may be grown.If a strain of rice is genetically modified to be more tolerant tosaline soil, farmers may have to determine whether it is more profitableto grow the modified strain on a larger plot of land than an unmodifiedstrain on the plots of land with lower salinity levels. By accessinginformation stored in databases regarding soil conditions, this functionmay analyze large areas of land to calculate the impact that geneticallymodified crops will have, and whether such crops will be more profitablebased on the amount of land they can be grown on.

“Mobile computer” or “mobile device”, as used herein, refers to theappropriate processing mechanisms and computer-readable media forstoring and executing computer-readable instructions from the field,such as programming instructions, code and the like. As shown in FIG. 2,mobile computers 200, 244, in a computing system environment 202 areprovided. This computing system environment 202 may include, but is notlimited to, at least one computer 200 having certain components forappropriate operation, execution of code, and creation and communicationof data. For example, the computer 200 includes a processing unit 204(typically referred to as a central processing unit or CPU) that servesto execute computer-based instructions received in the appropriate dataform and format. Further, this processing unit 204 may be in the form ofmultiple processors executing code in series, in parallel, or in anyother manner for appropriate implementation of the computer-basedinstructions. In order to facilitate appropriate data communication andprocessing information between the various components of the computer200, a system bus 206 is utilized.

The computer 200 may also include a variety of discretecomputer-readable media components. For example, these computer-readablemedia components may include any media that can be accessed by thecomputer 200, such as volatile media, non-volatile media, removablemedia, non-removable media, etc. As a further example, thecomputer-readable media may include computer storage media, such asmedia implemented in any method or technology for storage ofinformation, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data, random access memory (RAM), read onlymemory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory(EEPROM), flash memory, or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVDs), or other optical disk storage, magneticcassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store thedesired information and which can be accessed by the computer 200.Further, this computer-readable media may include communications media,such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, programmodules, or other transport mechanisms and include any informationdelivery media, wired media (such as a wired network and a direct-wiredconnection), and wireless media (such as acoustic signals, radiofrequency signals, optical signals, infrared signals, biometric signals,bar code signals, etc.). Of course, combinations of any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. Thecomputer can be implemented as a compact mobile device and can includean antenna, such as implemented in any method or technology for mobilecommunication that can communicate with a mobile network interconnectedwith the host module 2 as seen in FIGS. 1a and 1 b.

The computer 200 further includes a system memory 208 with computerstorage media in the form of volatile and non-volatile memory, such asROM and RAM.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the computer 200 may also includeother removable or non-removable, volatile or non-volatile computerstorage media products. For example, the computer 200 may include anon-removable memory interface 210 that communicates with and controls ahard disk drive 212, i.e., a non-removable, non-volatile magneticmedium; and a removable, non-volatile memory interface 214 thatcommunicates with and controls a magnetic disk drive unit 216 (whichreads from and writes to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk 218),an optical disk drive unit 220 (which reads from and writes to aremovable, non-volatile optical disk 222, such as a CD ROM), a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) port 221 for use in connection with a removable memorycard, etc. However, it is envisioned that other removable ornon-removable, volatile or non-volatile computer storage media can beused in the exemplary computing system environment 200, including, butnot limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, DVDs, digital video tape, solidstate RAM, solid state ROM, etc. These various removable ornon-removable, volatile or non-volatile magnetic media are incommunication with the processing unit 204 and other components of thecomputer 200 via the system bus 206. The drives and their associatedcomputer storage media discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 2 providestorage of operating systems, computer-readable instructions,application programs, data structures, program modules, program data andother instruction-based computer-readable code for the computer 200(whether duplicative or not of this information and data in the systemmemory 208).

A user (such as an application monitor) may enter commands, information,and data into the computer 200 through certain attachable or operableinput devices, such as a keyboard 224, a mouse 226, etc., via a mobilecomputer input interface 228. Of course, a variety of such input devicesmay be utilized, e.g., a microphone, a trackball, a joystick, atouchpad, a touch-screen, a scanner, etc., including any arrangementthat facilitates the input of data, and information to the computer 200from an outside source. As discussed, these and other input devices areoften connected to the processing unit 204 through the mobile computerinput interface 228 coupled to the system bus 206, but may be connectedby other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, gameport, or a universal serial bus (USB). Still further, data andinformation can be presented or provided to a mobile computer in anintelligible form or format through certain output devices, such as acomputer display system 230 (to visually display this information anddata in electronic form), a printer 232 (to physically display thisinformation and data in print form), a speaker 234 (to audibly presentthis information and data in audible form), etc. All of these devicesare in communication with the computer 200 through an output interface236 coupled to the system bus 206. It is envisioned that any suchperipheral output devices be used to provide information and data to themobile computer.

The computer 200 may operate in a network environment 238 through theuse of a communications device 240, which is integral to the computer orremote therefrom. This communications device 240 is operable by and incommunication to the other components of the computer 200 through acommunications interface 242. Using such an arrangement, the computer200 may connect with or otherwise communicate with one or more remotecomputers, such as a remote computer 244, which may be a personalcomputer, a server, a router, a network personal computer, a peerdevice, or other common network nodes, and typically includes many orall of the components described above in connection with the computer200. Using appropriate communication devices 240, e.g., a modem, anetwork interface or adapter, etc., the computer 200 may operate withinand communication through a local area network (LAN) and a wide areanetwork (WAN), but may also include other networks such as a virtualprivate network (VPN), an office network, an enterprise network, anintranet, the Internet, etc. It will be appreciated that the networkconnections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing acommunications link between the computers 200, 244 may be used. Otherservices can be provided such as standalone or assisted globalpositioning system (GPS) operation using radio signals from satellitesalone or preprocessed satellite signals. Assisted GPS additionally usesnetwork resources to locate and utilize the satellites faster as well asbetter in poor signal conditions.

As used herein, the computer 200 includes or is operable to executeappropriate custom-designed or conventional software to perform andimplement the processing steps of the method and system of the presentinvention, thereby, forming a specialized and particular computingsystem. Accordingly, the presently-invented method and system mayinclude one or more computers 200 or similar computing devices having acomputer-readable storage medium capable of storing computer-readableprogram code or instructions that cause the processing unit 202 toexecute, configure or otherwise implement the methods, processes, andtransformational data manipulations discussed hereinafter in connectionwith the present invention. Still further, the computer 200 as discussedpreviously can be a mobile computer 2 as shown in FIG. 2. The mobilecomputer can be in the form of an iPad, iPhone, a personal computer, apersonal digital assistant, a portable computer, a laptop, a palmtop, amobile device, a mobile telephone, a server, or any other type ofcomputing device having the necessary processing hardware toappropriately process data to effectively implement thepresently-invented computer-implemented method and system.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration based on what is currently considered to be the mostpractical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that suchdetail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limitedto the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to covermodifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood thatthe present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one ormore features of any embodiment can be combined with one or morefeatures of any other embodiment.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for providing visual crop data toa mobile device, the system comprising at least one server computer incommunication with a mobile device, the at least one server computerconfigured to: receive, from the mobile device, location data relatingto a geographical position of the mobile device; retrieve, from at leastone topographical data source, topographical data associated with atleast a portion of the location data; generate shape data based at leastpartially on the topographical data; and transmit at least a portion ofthe shape data to the mobile device, such that at least one shape isvisually displayed on at least a portion of a map image displayed on themobile device, wherein the at least one shape is based at leastpartially on the at least a portion of the shape data.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one shape at least partially indicates atleast one region, the at least one region comprising at least one of thefollowing: soil region, crop region, geographic region, or anycombination thereof.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least onebuffer region is displayed in relation to the at least one region. 4.The system of claim 3, wherein a location of the at least one bufferregion in relation to the at least one soil region is at least partiallydetermined by at least one of the following: regulatory requirements,water sources, crop type, crop treatment applications, or anycombination thereof.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least aportion of the topographical data comprises Extensible Markup Language(XML) data, and wherein at least part of the XML data at least partiallyrepresents at least one of the following: mark, image, polygon,three-dimensional models, textual descriptions, geographicalcoordinates, or any combination thereof.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein at least one buffer region is displayed in relation to at leastone of the following: protected area, water source, animal habitat, orany combination thereof.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein at least oneof a size, shape, and location of the at least one buffer region isinfluenced by wind speed data, and wherein the wind speed data isretrieved from at least one of the mobile device and an external datasource.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one topographicaldata source is at least one of the following: the Harmonized World SoilDatabase, the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, or anycombination thereof.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least oneserver computer is further configured to: receive field area datarelating to the geographical position of the mobile device, wherein thefield area data is received from at least one of the following: themobile device, the at least one topographical data source, a local datasource, a remote data source, or any combination thereof; and determine,based at least partially on regulatory data and the field area data,regulatory compliance data relating to at least one crop area, whereinthe regulatory compliance data indicates whether the at least one croparea is in compliance with at least one regulation.
 10. A computerprogram product comprising at least one computer-readable medium, thecomputer-readable medium comprising a program which, when executed by adevice having a processor and at least one display unit, causes thedevice to: transmit location data to at least one host, the locationdata representing a geographic location; receive shape data representingat least one shape, the at least one shape at least partiallycorresponding to at least one specific region, wherein at least aportion of the at least one region is included in at least a portion ofa geographic region; and display, in combination with a visualrepresentation of at least a portion of the geographic region activewithin the at least one display unit, at least a portion of the at leastone shape.
 11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein thedevice comprises a mobile computer, and wherein the geographic locationis at least partially based on a physical location of the mobilecomputer.
 12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein theprogram further causes the device to display at least one buffer regionin relation to the at least one shape.
 13. The computer program productof claim 12, wherein at least one of a location, size, and shape of theat least one buffer region is determined by at least one of thefollowing: regulatory requirements, water sources, crop type, croptreatment applications, or any combination thereof.
 14. The computerprogram product of claim 10, wherein the at least one region comprisesat least one soil region classified by at least one of the following:soil composition, crop type, mineral level, altitude, specifiedgeometric boundary, salinity, or any combination thereof.
 15. Thecomputer program product of claim 10, wherein the program further causesthe device to display at least one suggested crop type for at least aportion of the geographic region.
 16. The computer program product ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one selected crop type is at leastpartially determined from at least one of the following: a best cropdatabase, the geographic location, a soil type or composition associatedwith at least a portion of the geographic region, rainfall dataassociated with at least a portion of the geographic region, temperaturedata associated with at least a portion of the geographic region,salinity levels associated with at least a portion of the geographicregion, or any combination thereof.
 17. The computer program product ofclaim 10, wherein the program further causes the device to perform atleast one of the following steps: display regulatory complianceinformation for at least one crop area, wherein at least a portion ofthe regulatory compliance information is determined at least partiallyfrom field area data inputted into the device; transmit complianceinformation related to at least one inspection region to at least oneregulatory authority, wherein at least a portion of the complianceinformation comprises at least one of the following: an image or videoof at least a portion of the at least one inspection region, inputteddata, wind speed data, altitude data or any combination thereof;generate a regulatory compliance report for at least one inspectionregion, wherein the at least one inspection region includes at least aportion of the geographic region, and wherein the regulatory compliancereport is generated at least partially from at least one of inputteddata and data received from the at least one host; or any combinationthereof.
 18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein theprogram further causes the device to display impact data configured torepresent an estimated impact that at least one genetically modifiedcrop will have on at least a portion of land associated with thegeographic location.
 19. The computer program product of claim 18,wherein the estimated impact is at least partially determined from anamount of the at least a portion of land that the at least onegenetically modified crop can be grown on, and wherein the estimatedimpact at least partially comprises at least one of the following: cropproduction impact of growing the at least one genetically modified cropon the at least a portion of land, profit impact for growing the atleast one genetically modified crop on the at least a portion of land,or any combination thereof.
 20. The computer program product of claim10, wherein the program further causes the device to display a graphicaluser interface comprising at least one of the following: zoom tool,search tool, directional movement tool, scope, compass, point placementtool, or any combination thereof.